I make my password as long as they will let a password be ususally, and I make it a combo of numbers and letters in a random pattern so that I don't forget, like for 10-digits say: ew24d23srw or something. That means nothing to a hacker/cracker/whatever who is trying to figure my password out, so if they do figure out what it is, they probably won't think that is actually it and keep trying! I have a cablemodem via MediaOne, and I am never going back to dialup. I used to have to deal with this kind of crap all the time, but not anymore. If I have a problem now, then I just call their tech line (they usually pick up within 5 minutes) and have them fix it right then. My only "beef" with MediaOne is they take almost a month to set you up the first time.

I want to know something, I've tried cacking, and it's hard as hell. You don't magicly guess a password. You need someone on the inside to give you the password. Sometimes you can use brute force, but rarely does it work correctly. Plus these are big name companies why don't they have good security. What the hell are they paying these people for. I'm sorry somethings not right here. Either the companies, and lazy as hell and don't want to bother to put up a good defense or someone's on the inside helping these guys out. Either way the companies need to do somethings fast before something really dangerous happens. Like someone gets a bunch of credit cards numbers and does even bother to threaten them just goes and charges up a bunch of stuff. You're or the credit card company is screwed then either way someones going to lose big time. Sorry if some of my language offened you, I just can't stand all of this B.S. someone should do something about this.

I do agree that major ISPs should have top notch security. But I am glad that they have owned up to the breach and are forcing the users to do what's best for their own safety (change their passwords). Many of their users may not have heeded a "suggested" password change, thus creating a potential security risk for all users of the ISP. Sometimes it's ok to be "forced" to do something that's for the good of a whole community.

I get grief from my users about security requirements regarding password length and occasional changes sometimes. But I bet I would get more grief if someone cracked the system and brought it all crashing down!

As for having to get passwd's from the inside (of the isp) this is just not so. Improper setting up of file and print sharing on a winblow9.x machine will allow access to possibly all the drives and files on a system from the net. Then to top it off, people keep txt files of the login and passwd. If you feel your memory is so bad that you need to do this, DON'T PUT IT IN THE MY DOCUMENTS folder, or better yet encrypt it.

I have one Question about this whole thing, today the media uses the word "hacker" to I.D most every kind of person on the internet. most common: Crackers, does any one know the REAL way this 16 year old got in to the ISP's? did he really hack in? or di he just leave his copy of Butus open all night?

I was a Comm. Tech #5ESS and other technologies for the past 30 years with Pacific Bell. It seems to me the biggest problem is that those in charge have absolutely no idea how anything works. So you get these panics on a weekly basis. Example the Imbedded date stamps in all the chips are going to cause the world to stop, â€œ The great Y2K fiasco,â€ the phone companies actually had the National Guard on standby in case the world ended.
Now some kid was able to tap into mainframe computer based switching apparatus and hack the world. Give me a break. The only way that could happen is to access a dial up then access recent change locations. Then dump all the data bases on 28K modems the phone company uses to input data. I donâ€™t think so, and if they were able to get in then shame on the phone companies lamb security systems.
I have ADSL on my phone. No one has contacted me about any problems, but the other night in the middle of poking out a long piece of mail. a requester dropped down and demanded that I change my Password, when I tried to poke in a new password it came back with â€œBad Password, Please reenter passwordâ€ Then locked up my Computer causing me to loose my letter, and all my work. Gerrr! Again it looks like someone who is not in the know is panicking and telling a Switchmen somewhere to dump a blanket request for subscriber to make a change but the way they are going about it is typically wrong.